Chapter 2225 Surrender
More than 100 lives were lost during the brief but intense battle, leaving about 150 Nephilim guards kneeling, ten of whom were magus along with Ishtar and the old grand magus spirit master, Olloi. The aftermath was grim, the air heavy with the scent of blood.
Amidst the carnage, Ronan, casually suggested, "It's too hard to move this many people... just kill them all. They are just foot soldiers anyway."
Emery sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing on his shoulders. Ronan seemed to bring misfortune wherever he went, complicating situations rather than resolving them. This was especially troubling coming from the man who had promised to repay a favor. Despite her restraint, Ishtar remained defiant, her arrogance undiminished. "You've made a big mistake! I bet you only have one week at most before the Nephilim destroy your home and kill your friends!" Her voice rang out, filled with venom and certainty.
Ronan turned to Emery, his eyes reflecting a mixture of amusement and impatience. "What else do you need to consider? She's practically begging to be killed!"
"I dare you to kill me! I fucking dare you!" Ishtar spat, her eyes blazing with fury. Emery sighed deeply, the weight of the situation bearing down on him. He understood that some things were simply unavoidable, and that reasoning with someone like Ishtar was futile. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he made a decisive choice. He turned to Ronan and said, "Senior, I think you are right... It's already come to this... it's better to kill them all"
The words sent a ripple of shock through the surviving Nephilim guards. Even Ronan and Lilith seemed a little startled by Emery's decision.
Emery calmly drew his sword, its blade gleaming with deadly intent, and aimed it at Ishtar. He gathered his power, readying himself for a killing blow.
"No... no... you wouldn't dare!" Ishtar's voice wavered, a stark contrast to her earlier bravado. The sight of Emery, his face still covered in blood brought a chilling clarity to her mind. She vividly recalled how he had split her grand magus bodyguard in two, and the thought of her own body turning into such a hideous corpse finally sparked genuine fear in her eyes.
Emery's eyes were cold, his expression unreadable as he advanced on her. "You've left me no choice," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
He walked forward, his steps deliberate and unyielding. Ishtar, sensing the finality of his approach, blurted out in desperation, "Wait... you can't kill me... you... You can put a ransom on my life... my family will pay greatly."
Emery's eyes narrowed, his voice cold and resolute. "What's the point of wealth if I can't hold on to life... like you said... I won't be alive in a week... ... no deal."
Chaos erupted among the Nephilim guards. The old spirit master, his voice trembling, begged for Emery not to kill his master. ery met his gaze, his resolve unwavering. "This is what I want. If you disagree, you can do whatever you want with them... but it will not be my doing. In fact, it would be ideal for me. All I need is to save at least one from you to become my witness."
Ronan chuckled, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You are more interesting than I thought."
Emery then turned to the old spirit master, who still looked apprehensive. "Report this to your superior," Emery commanded. "I will be waiting for them at Terra City."
With those final words, Emery took hold of the incapacitated Ishtar and quickly made his way out of the outpost. He knew reinforcements could arrive at any moment, bringing more trouble. Ronan watched Emery go, giving the captives another scrutinizing look. After a moment of consideration, he decided to leave as well, following Emery's lead. #####
Terra City was far from ideal for imprisoning a Nephilim noble like Ishtar, but Emery had no other choice. He could not endanger Zodiac City or Karat's city, especially while they were busy with the pirate battle preparations. He couldn't lure the Nephilim to other places either, worrying that they would harm Terra City in his absence. His actions would indeed endanger the people of Terra, but this was the best way to protect them.
Emery swiftly took Ishtar into the dungeon and began to interrogate her. To get the most information, Emery resorted to psychological tactics. He claimed that he had killed all the captives and that no one knew where he was, at least for a while.
"You're alone here, No one is coming to save you. Your only chance is to cooperate with me."
With such conditions and aided by his Divine Sense to detect her lies, it was surprisingly not that difficult to get her to reveal some of the Qin and Croft families' hidden plans. These plans were related to their contingencies in the case of Karat's successful pirate campaign.
It was surprising information, yet despite telling the truth, Ishtar knew little about the details. She was, after all, an outsider.
"I've told you everything I know! Now release me!" she demanded.
"Not just yet," Emery replied, his tone unwavering.
Taking her captive was a disaster for him and Earth factions already. Emery might as well extract as much value from the situation as possible. He decided to seize this rare opportunity to force her to reveal more information about the Nephilim factions. He wasn't interested in knowing secrets that would only bring him more trouble, but he was particularly keen on information related to Earth since the Nephilim's first arrival.
"Tell me this, and I will let you go."